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Given massive advancements in technology, I disagree. Aliens would have VASTLY superior technology, that we can only dream about. If they exist they are most likely very aware of us, however travel time, or choice is all thats preventing contact.
Agreed, that's what I was thinking the whole time I read the OP'S post.
I feel that there are many things that the government hides from us because if the general public knew about them there would be mass chaos. WIth that being said, maybe there is no proof that they have visited us, but is there proof that they haven't? The argument goes both ways. I knew someone that was stationed at Roswell New Mexico in 1947 and they told me what they saw first hand even after they themselves had wanted to disbelieve. That was proof enough for me. I don't need the 6 o clock news to report these things...just open up your eyes and make your own conclusions. For me, there are just too many coincidences, too many stories, etc...for me to believe its all made up.
For the most part, I agree with the OP. I do think that given the sheer numbers of possible inhabitable planets out there, not just in our galaxy, but others as well, plus time, that it is likely there is life out there. Now, as to whether there is intelligent life, and specifically intelligent life that is so far advanced beyond us to actually make it here, I think is an extremely small likelihood. Personally, I think it is just as likely that we are the single most advanced life form in all existence as it not. All it takes is one global calamity, ie a meteor strike, to reset evolution to the starting point. So for a species to have advanced to that point they'd have to have been extremely lucky. I mean EXTREMELY.
And even if there is life that has made it to that point, the sheer vast distances of space doom us to being isolated from each other no matter what anyway. Even at the speed of light, the distances are insurmountable, and those distances are only increasing as the universe expands.
However, there may be one 'but', as brought up earlier in this thread: robotics. I see that is the only way distance could be conquered. Even then though, I think the chances of us making contact with them or vice versa are very nearly infinitesimal.
Add to this that any high developed civilization out there, even it were to contact or communicate with humanity, such attempt wouldn't have even been noticed by humans. Try communicating with say ants or chickens. See what happens.
Any developed civilization is going to communicate with something that travels at the speed of light like radio waves. That's assuming they haven't developed something faster than light and/or are able to hide their communications in some manner. While you may not be able to understand what they are communicating they should be detectable.
The trouble is the distance, for a radio signal traveling at the speed of light it could take as much as 200K years to cross just our galaxy. Suppose there is a planet 100K light years from here situated similarly to us on the other side of the galaxy with intelligent life that is developing along the same lines as us. If both civilizations were to last 99K years there would be no one present to detect the other when those signals reached either planet. .
Last edited by thecoalman; 03-02-2016 at 12:05 PM..
So for a species to have advanced to that point they'd have to have been extremely lucky. I mean EXTREMELY.
It's difficult to grasp the numbers but perhaps this would help. 1 trillion dollars of one dollar bills stacked up would be about the size of one of the world trade centers. If those dollar bills were to represent the estimated amount of suns in the universe your stack would cover the eastern US from the Mississippi to the east coast.
That is just the suns, it's not the planets and moons that will be orbiting those suns.
Every one assumes aliens would be between 3 and 12 feet tall, what if they are microscopic?
Good point, that reminded of the commercial for an alien flick probably from the late 80's or early 90's. They show the earth and then show part of the edge of this massive round object coming in closer and closer, then it blinks.
Most alien life -- if it exists -- will be something similar to pond scum or a virus. Most life on this planet is much in the same category. Earth-like planets will turn up somewhere ...maybe in our galaxy and maybe close enough for us to be able to learn something about them. If we travel there and come back we need to be careful what we track in on our shoes. We are essentially alone.
The family tree for modern humans is extremely complicated with dozens if not hundreds of deadends. We evolved in response to the environmental conditions on Earth. It was a precarious process and a few degrees in temperature or a significant decrease in rainfall over a long period and we might still be in the trees. There's no reason to think that evolution would not work in a similar fashion on another Earth-like planet but there are as many forces working against intelligent life as working in its favor.
The new Justin Bieber album is in fact proof aliens have visited and collaborated with the Bieb when he was in the studio in an attempt to create music so horrible that it destroys humanity.
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